Swans - The Beggar ALBUM REVIEW 

I can understand your feelings, though a friend gave me a recorded casserte copy of _Filth_ in '83. I was listening to _Pyromania_ at the time, and I didn't know what the hell I'd just heard. It wasn't till I saw them in '92 that I finally understood what I'd been missing, and I listened again to their '80s output, gaining a new appreciation for that era, as well as the newer iteration. I saw 'em again in '97, both with Jarboe, disbanding soon after. Angels of Light, however, soothed my soul till _My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky._ What have you thought of Angels of Light?

Good for you! Enjoy the exploration

It's not for everyone. I'm glad it finally imprinted on you.

What about To Be Kind?

The last track stood out to me as a true Swans canon song. I was surprised he didn't like it, because the simplicity of it - compared to the previous one - washed my soul in a way that is so very Swans. Aside from that, I agree with you totally, despite having enjoyed the experience.

Indeed, while The Beggar's music might arguably be less vital than Swans' myriad masterpieces, a great deal of beauty and power is mined from Gira's confrontation of mortality.

Pitchfork ahh reply 😭

@@smoshbooz I literally copy pasted the video description

​@@smoshboozdumbass

Twice now…

did your father guide you up a rope to the sky?

@@velvetcorridor i live a complicated life

Atleast the band is still releasing good music.

​@@PitchSkullBlackAnd they're even better in show than in studio, so guys please catch Michael Gira if you can while you still can

@Do_not_dare_to_seeMYsongWho is she? and Swans is a band.

@@raingirlcat2245it’s a bot

If this record was “To Pimp A Butterfly” he would’ve given it a 10

Please help me,I’m tryna make it out the hood so on my RU-vid channel i do food reviews while I’m super high bro😭

But let's be real, Seer > To Be Kind fr

I agree and I really liked this album on the first couple of listens. Then I popped on The Glowing Man and realised that it's better in so many ways.

@@timwatley4793that was the experience I had with the glowing man lool. Find most of the glowing man really repetitive now. This album can get repetitive as well but in a more meditative and interesting way I feel.

im with you, the memorious is awesome

its very saddening as it doesn't deserve it whatsoever, easily AOTY

Yep, in the age of social media lot of people can't seem to have their own opinions anymore

​@@streaky4650 Come on now 😂

RYM has been dead for over a decade now. It’s an irrevocably politicised zoomer-infested shit hole. Not a serious website.

Luckily I've realised that RYM, while a great resource to discover new music, is a cesspit of meme opinions that should never be looked at too deeply.

depends on the headphones too of course

"I also feel like Swans have become a victim of their fans and critics expectations" - this is 100% true. In fact, it was one of the main factors in Gira's initial disbanding of Swans back in 1997.

Like, a swan song?

What interviews?

Dude, he is still playing concerts, so he must feel reasonably well

Lots of misinformation. He already confirmed that he will do another album heading to the direction of the beggar lover. I saw Swans perform a month ago and Michael never looked younger and healthier to be honest. His performance, while really really dark, was also sprawling with life and energy while being super intense and loud.

@@johnnymonny8619 also saw them live last month - best concert i have been to, absolute gem - but the guy was sitting down through almost the entire performance, which is uncommon for their life shows of the past. I checked videos of the rest of the tour and the setup was the same. Not saying that the guy is sick, but i cannot attest to the life and energy you mentioned mate

We the best music

Swans dropping their swan song huh

DJ KHALED!!

in and out of retirement more than logic

They are swans songs

He touches on "Why Can't I Have" briefly but it sounds like the name of the track got cut out in video editing.

mine too. the 40 minute long track is fucking amazing

Yep

Agreed

Better than The Glowing Man? Damnnnn

The original album title was Jackson

They do mate for life. In cygnus and in health.

Damn 🤣

@@DavidSGropCygnus…Vismund Cygnus

I also loved it. Probably not their best work but honestly hits a vibe their other albums haven't really covered and does it very well

Same

It’s almost like he doesn’t spend enough time with the albums

@@carsont4625 there's another video on his other channel

How is that fascinating? 🤦🏼‍♂️

Some people take care of the making of the videos for him. That's how he can deal with several videos in a single day

@@ontheturningaway but he also has to listen to the album, note all his key points, have deep knowledge of the bands history, and edit the vid. thats a lot of work tbh

Yes he can

42 Dugg feature on the hidden track bundled with the Croatian regional CD box set

🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️

Is this Kendrick on acid...? 🤔

Leaving meaning already got a 7 a few years back

@@nathanabeyta3873 but that one was justified

Damn was justified

He gave their last album “leaving meaning” a 7

​@Do_not_dare_to_seeMYsongtf

​@@xylin3683he got into the habit of putting on Swans hoping to get laid but then got mad when the girl left

@@chrisjfox8715 tf

@@PASAQALIAIn my opinion this album is way better than Leaving Meaning. I’m a huge Swans and like pretty much every album of theirs but Leaving Meaning. I always loose interest while listening to it, but I love the song Sunfucker. To me this album sounds like Leaving Meaning + the trilogy albums combined

No more of this works a lot better as closer. Parasite works as intro imo

But I did go to film school.

@@handsomeb.wonderful2437 Haha I guess that checks out then

yeah, similar cadence - - mlme one of my favorites

I think The Memorious was an incredible track!!

Colleen? Where?

@@Milklatte he reviewed colleen's 'apology' song, it's on his other channel lol

He gave leaving meaning a 7 as well so I kinda saw this coming

coulda swan

Why do you all like swans?, i find them really boring imo, but i want to know where does swans hype comes from cuz i would like to understand this type of music

​@@ZZZZZZDDDDADA you definitely need to set aside your expectations of music a little bit. It's more of an experience. Actually feel the music and explore the darker themes and emotions conveyed in the album. It also helps to find an actual album that is a good match for you. Many people have different favorite albums of theirs cuz they impact you differently. To get into them easier I would suggest some of their older stuff. White Light from the Mouth of Infinity is probably the easiest to get into imo and doesn't adulterate the actual experience of a swans album with the darker themes and existential lyrics. The Great annihilator would probably be your next stop from there. If you arent at least curious to check out their other stuff from there then they may just not be for you. If you do like then there are many different directions you could go and honestly just about all of their stuff is golden if you like them. (Blackmail is one of the most beautiful songs ever imo too)

@@ZZZZZZDDDDADAthe hypnotic nature of their music and impossible vastness if their sound is the constant cited between fans

@@ZZZZZZDDDDADA Don’t feel the need to like something simply because it’s labeled “experimental.” It’s not like the fans of swans know something you don’t. It’s just subjective enjoyment. I happen to agree with you… their music is boring and I never could get into it either. Extremely loud repetitive guitar chords for 20+ minutes just doesn’t take my mind to interesting places.

make sure to give it like 5 listens, i did not like it first listen but it grew on me a ton

@@juicybooty395 Treu but its a bit intense to tell someone to spend 10 hours into an album to fully like it

@@theedgera2877 i was exaggerating a bit lol, it did take me till my third listen to really love it (i didn’t listen to beggar lover though, after the first time)

@@juicybooty395 That's fair and interesting too as everyone seems to be having the same experience in terms of listens. This album clicked with me the first listen unlike any other 2 hour swans albums

What is the difference

​@kuromori_6472 Vinyl has limitations so sometimes songs have to be sequenced differently in order to make both sides of a record have a similar amount of time. Typically, 22 minutes per side is the maximum you should have without compromising the quality, but, of course, good engineers can find ways to allow several minutes without noticeable differences. The vinyl release of the Beggar switched a few tracks and removed the Beggar Lover to keep both sides of the discs under 20 minutes.

This may be blasphemous but Angels of Light r lowkey even better than Swans

@@kns7717 I won't call you a heretic. Infact I might agree. I just found Angels of Light to be damn near transcendent it is so incredible. Especially as someone from Appalachia, the included traditional Appalachian instruments on New Mother along with Gira's voice still give me those spine shivers when music just hit incredibly right. Gira with dulcimer, banjo, and mandolin with a little mouth harp for good measure is hard to imagine until you hear it just flow through you. Just the first two tracks on that record, the intro, Fragment, leading into Praise Your Name still makes the hair stand up on arms and the back of my neck after 24 years of listening to it. Song for my father is still hard to listen to because it is so deeply personal, but still manages to speak directly to the loss of my own father. And that's just me gushing about one album. How I Loved You, Everything is good here\Please come home, Sing Other People, Akron/Family split record, and We Are Him are each incredible in their own way. All emotionally brutal in their own right and deeply personal. Not the list of records I'd recommend if you loose a parent unless wallowing in misery is catharsis for you. I just wish more people would hear the records. I can't imagine someone not being awestruck upon listening and then left completely haunted by the time the last track ends. Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one.

Drainland too

That Akron/Family & Angels of Light spilt is pretty amazing as well.

that means ur music taste is ass

You’re not alone. Tons of people citing that as their favorite track.

not good

Great point, man. I've just checked SUSS and I really enjoyed them. Thank you

@filthymouse6134 yeah I did myself when I listened to that record. It's some nice chill ambient guitar music 🎸 with a southern twang to it. Nice vibes, but glad to hear you enjoy it as well

Yes! Both are 10s in my opinion, but Glowing Man is an even stronger 10 for me.

It changes all the time, but they’re both 10/10s for me

but he gave it a 9

10*

7 doesn't mean it's bad. That's a good score, despite fans of anything always needing it to be considered the greatest creation in history or they feel personally insulted for some reason.

@@Noooiiiissseee he gave it the same score as that shit bcnr live album when it's quite easily the best album to drop all year and top 4 swans

@@streaky4650 I listened to the whole album earlier today and I didn't think it was good at all. Super meandering and excessively long for no reason. I like a ton of drone music and experimental stuff, but it just wasn't that good to me. Crazy how music can be subjective.

@@Noooiiiissseee clearly just some brain developmental issues for you bro

Kurtis Conner lol

Comment platinum.

haha thought the same